The present invention relates to hand trucks intended for transporting heavy merchandise, and more particularly, to an improved and simplified hand truck which is adapted to move heavy loads easily up and down a flight of stairs.
A problem with prior art hand trucks or carrying carts is that it is difficult for the operator to keep the truck under control when going down a flight of stairs, and it is even more difficult to move heavy loads up a flight of stairs because the operator is substantially pulling the load and the truck. It is common to have a braking device operable to help prevent the truck from running away during its movement down the stairs. Other devices such as conveyor belt type treads, motors, lever means, etc., have been devised to assist the operator in moving the cart up a flight of stairs. These prior art attempts to make a hand truck more easily movable up and down stairs involve complicated mechanical structure which is susceptible to breakage, jamming, and other mechanical problems. Thus, there has been the need for a simplified hand truck which is adapted to move easily up and down a flight of stairs.
Another problem with existing hand trucks and carrying carts is that they are unsatisfactory for transporting heavy merchandise around a warehouse or the like. The trucks typically have a pair of ground engaging wheels which wear quickly because of the heavy loads bearing downwardly directly on the wheels. The wheels develop flat spots and other irregularities on their exterior surfaces which make it difficult for the operator to maneuver the truck after extended use. Thus, there has been a need for a hand truck or carrying device which is constructed to enable an operator to handle heavy loads. The invention herein seeks to solve the problems of the prior art by means of a hand truck which is capable of transporting heavy items around a warehouse, up and down flights of stairs, etc. The hand truck herein may be manufactured inexpensively, and it is designed to carry heavy loads without breaking or damaging its component parts. Thus, the present hand truck effectively eliminates the problems of the prior art.